[Drinking] Alcoholic/like a beer or two too much?

chaileyjem · Jan 2, 2021

Bry Nylon said:
In fact the intention for 2021 is to be 100% AF. Until halfway through 2019 I was drinking daily in the ‘Adrian Chiles’ mode so it really was something that needed to be addressed. Can’t say I’ve taken much account of the financial benefits - although they must be considerable I’d have thought - but the fitness dividend has been fantastic.

Good luck to all those planning to cut back in 2021.

PS: for those who saw that memorable Adrian Chiles doc and want to know how he's getting on. TLDR - he didn't give up booze but did cut down dramatically then he wrote a couple of follow ups just before xmas - there's also useful advice there for those who are planning on Dry January for the first time.
https://www.theguardian.com/society...hy-do-people-think-i-tried-to-stop-and-failed
https://www.theguardian.com/society...ut-youll-need-a-plan-to-remember-for-november

Bry Nylon · Jan 2, 2021

chaileyjem said:
PS: for those who saw that memorable Adrian Chiles doc and want to know how he's getting on. TLDR - he didn't give up booze but did cut down dramatically then he wrote a couple of follow ups just before xmas - there's also useful advice there for those who are planning on Dry January for the first time.
https://www.theguardian.com/society...hy-do-people-think-i-tried-to-stop-and-failed
https://www.theguardian.com/society...ut-youll-need-a-plan-to-remember-for-november

Thanks for the links; I’d always wondered how he’d got on. That documentary certainly made for very uncomfortable viewing for me and if I’m being honest, changed my life.

seagully · Jan 2, 2021

maffew said:
Yes try https://www.cranstoun.org, is your friend in Coventry?

Will give that a go, thanks! Yeah they are in Coventry

thedonkeycentrehalf · Jan 2, 2021

chaileyjem said:
PS: for those who saw that memorable Adrian Chiles doc and want to know how he's getting on. TLDR - he didn't give up booze but did cut down dramatically then he wrote a couple of follow ups just before xmas - there's also useful advice there for those who are planning on Dry January for the first time.
https://www.theguardian.com/society...hy-do-people-think-i-tried-to-stop-and-failed
https://www.theguardian.com/society...ut-youll-need-a-plan-to-remember-for-november

Thanks for sharing - very interesting.

I though this bit summed up comments I get from a few people:

Then there will be your drinking buddies, annoyed and even hurt that you are not downing your usual quantities with them. You will be accused of being antisocial and, at this time of year, judged guilty of being “un-Christmassy” to boot.

For me, it was usually in the form of a comment that "you'll have a drink at Christmas though won't you?" as if it is something that you have to do if you want to celebrate the holiday period.

The Merry Prankster · Jan 2, 2021

maffew said:
I respectfully disagree that there arent any really any alternatives to the 12 steps, and that is an issue with AA and NA groups IMO, its this way or no way, glad it works for you though, and wonderful that the model has worked and continues to work for so many for so long. Though some people just cant or wont get it. but it doesnt mean that it cant be done. The best CGL have budgets, targets, throughput of clients.. what to do? Refereral to xA..

Could be controlled detox, rehabs, cbt, sound therapy, mindfulness meditation techniques, tai chi/yoga, life coaching, exercise, nutritionists, other meds, group/support work..
There are alternatives which shouldnt be discounted

There may be some decent CGLs but I've not come across one. Our local one's pathway to rehab looks like it was designed with the specific intent of keeping people out of rehab. The throughput of clients is all anyone appears to care about to the extent that I believe they now have only one person running frontline groups but a whole load of people throughputting clients.

I'm not against most of the things you list (and indeed include some of them in my own recovery), although I'd have to say I think CBT has been largely discounted as being effective. I'll do what I do when people (often in somewhere like CGL) suggest, let's say, sound therapy, and say I can introduce you to many, many chronic alcoholics who have stayed sober for, shall we say, 10 years using 12 step recovery, how many can you introduce me to who have done the same with sound therapy?

knocky1 · Jan 12, 2021

knocky1 said:
Target for 2020 is now 208 days free. That will be not drinking for 4 days for every week in the year. Next year I'll aim to just beat that and work on the binge drinking in between.

I failed in December and finished the year on 193 days free. Very happy with that result. We can learn from that.
I think I went on a 21 day wine blitz knowing I had another 100 days abstinence plan for the start of 2021. Bad discipline but it happened.

The good news is I’m finding it easier not to drink this year than last year and enjoying it. My brain and body are starting to adapt. Luckily I’m just as addicted to not drinking.

PILTDOWN MAN · Jan 12, 2021

Two weeks in, all ok went around 7 months last year apart from tastings, which I have to do in my job. Easier on furlough as not at the brewery. Got a house full of free beer though. Going to drink next in April on my birthday

Bozza · Jan 12, 2021

chaileyjem said:
PS: for those who saw that memorable Adrian Chiles doc and want to know how he's getting on. TLDR - he didn't give up booze but did cut down dramatically then he wrote a couple of follow ups just before xmas - there's also useful advice there for those who are planning on Dry January for the first time.
https://www.theguardian.com/society...hy-do-people-think-i-tried-to-stop-and-failed
https://www.theguardian.com/society...ut-youll-need-a-plan-to-remember-for-november

Also thanks for sharing these. I saw the original programme and a couple of follow-up articles, but I'd not seen these.

Chiles sounds exactly the same as me - absolutely no intention to have a life without something I enjoy so much, but I need to do better at finding a balance that works for me, and that simply means getting more enjoyment/value from the drinks I do have.

Anyway, I'm 11 days in to my current booze-less streak that I'm taking to reset things. The first few days presented a bit of a challenge, but I expected that after the Christmas period. Since then, I can feel the habit fading pretty quickly, although I did fancy a beer watching our game against Newport, but I had some San Miguel 0.0 I picked up from Tesco (four cans for £2) so I had a couple of those.

I've no idea how long I'll stay dry for this time, but I certainly intend to see January out and, ideally, February too.

Stumpy Tim · Jan 12, 2021

I always like seeing this thread bounced. I did Sober October, had nights out on 1st and 3rd November before going dry for the rest of that month. Drank in December, and now doing Dry January, and will probably continue into February - maybe for lockdown. I´m fortunate that my wife doesn´t drink, so lockdown is not really a time of temptation for me. I definitely sleep much better when I don´t drink, and my shits are marvellous.

Keep up the good fight!

seagullwedgee · Jan 12, 2021

Well done to those going dry, and those just trying (like me) to drastically cut back.

I did some backwards diary work to try and calculate what I was consuming, and over the long term I was averaging 98 units per week, 14 units per day. I set my plan for this year to have dry days MTW, and to cut back on other days. After 11 complete days of January, I’ve consumed 32 units. Old world I would have consumed 154 units! So I’m averaging 3 units per day, when before I was averaging 14 per day. So I’ve cut back almost 80%, which is better than I thought I could do.

If you are trying to cut back (rather than give up) then the App that Adrian Chiles used and recommended, called ‘Drinking Less’ is proving particularly useful for me.

Machiavelli · Jan 12, 2021

knocky1 said:
I failed in December and finished the year on 193 days free. Very happy with that result. We can learn from that.
I think I went on a 21 day wine blitz knowing I had another 100 days abstinence plan for the start of 2021. Bad discipline but it happened.

The good news is I’m finding it easier not to drink this year than last year and enjoying it. My brain and body are starting to adapt. Luckily I’m just as addicted to not drinking.

You've stumbled on what I have: I drink weekends (which I count as Fri, Sat, Sun) but not weekdays. I don't follow that religiously, but keep to it c95% of the time -- biggest exceptions are Xmas/NY and holidays. I also had a dry Jan last year, which was fine. Started it this year (after finishing up NYE's scraps), but we had some good news last Friday, so broke it for the w/e.

zefarelly · Jan 21, 2021

Boing

How's everyone doing ? 4th weekend is nearly upon us.

I'v managed fine, boring, but life is at the moment anyway. Like Simster my Mrs gave up drinking a while back so that helps, thinking of keeping going, or at the very least a strict rationing routine into Feb, or stay sober until we can go out and enjoy it.

I've ordered some beavertown AF beer for the weekend and next Wed, the best AF beer I've tasted.

DJ NOBO · Jan 21, 2021

zefarelly said:
Boing

How's everyone doing ? 4th weekend is nearly upon us.

I'v managed fine, boring, but life is at the moment anyway. Like Simster my Mrs gave up drinking a while back so that helps, thinking of keeping going, or at the very least a strict rationing routine into Feb, or stay sober until we can go out and enjoy it.

I've ordered some beavertown AF beer for the weekend and next Wed, the best AF beer I've tasted.

Try Adnams Ghost Ship. Very impressed with that

Carlos BC · Jan 21, 2021

Just done three weeks as of tonight, considering having a year off.

I did 6 months off a couple of years back and once I got used to the idea then all was OK. Still had the same amounts of nights out, went to the football and socially nothing changed. Actually quite useful having someone who can then drive home, never thought that person would be me! Lost plenty of weight (now back on) and boring as it might sound, felt much better, loads more energy, more patient, less grumpy and passed a load of exams that led to a career change.

For me I think I am just getting a bit old for it, will be 50 next year. Normally drink a couple of nights a week but have about 7 pints - problem is I then feel tired for a few days and just can't see that it is worth it for a few hours on the sauce. I am definitely not the sort to have a nice sensible one small glass of red a night that is supposed to be good for you.

Bozza · Jan 21, 2021

Still going, or still not going, depending on your point of view.

I have no concerns of seeing January out, so it's a matter of how far I go from there. In 2019 I made it to July 25th which was the first morning of our family holiday. Making it to that day was a triump in many ways, not least because my resistance was strong enough to resist "airport hotel night before holiday" beers as well as "early morning airport pint" and "mini bottles of wine on the flight" too.

That was a 205-day dry streak - I'm not sure I've got that in me this year!

Birdie Boy · Jan 21, 2021

I did both lockdowns plus other times so about 6 months in total which is huge considering I was drinking pretty much every day. The first lockdown was very nearly tree total just a cook of cans near the end. I don't want to give it up, just want to a) so going to the pub (no problem there at the moment!) b) lose weight. Last year I lost nearly 2 stone and felt amazing, then the pubs opened and it all went back on. This time I'm determined it will stay off, so it means staying out of the pub, going to ration it to Fridays and possibly Sunday, when they reopen. My last drop was Jan 1st and don't see any issue going until spring /pubs open. Lost about 10lb so far.

zefarelly · Jan 22, 2021

I must eat too much as I haven't lost any weight.

Tried Adnams, not bad at all. Infinite session isn't bad as well.

The good thing about AF stuff is, it's nowhere near as moreish as the real thing. . .

I have been battling PMR for nearly 2 years, it was triggered after DJ in 2019, and seems to be worse when I don't drink . . . . so one potential challenge this year is to kick it (and get of the steroids) without resorting to the medicinal qualities of claret!

Change at Barnham · Jan 22, 2021

zefarelly said:
I have been battling PMR for nearly 2 years, it was triggered after DJ in 2019, and seems to be worse when I don't drink . . .

What's PMR and DJ?

Couldn't Be Hyypia · Jan 22, 2021

Can I recommend St Peter's Without. There are a couple of variants, a regular, dark bitter and a lighter cross over bitter called Gold. I think there is also an organic version.

Comes from the fantastic St Peter's Brewery in Suffolk. The owner was diagnosed with cancer and told he couldn't drink alcohol, so he set about making an AF beer that genuinely tasted like beer. He has very nearly done it. As others have said, it's hard to do sessions on AF beer for some reason, but they are so low in calories, it wouldn't really matter if you did.

zefarelly · Jan 22, 2021

Change at Barnham said:
What's PMR and DJ?

Dry January

Polymyalgia Rheumatica. a bizarre, thankfully non permanent, but painful, auto immune creaky joints thing.

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